"24" seas 1: Naked Mandy, Pretty Jack and Eeeevil Nina!

Sounds almost like a "Karnak The Magnificent" answer:
"Name three things we don't see anymore in '24'" -

Anyhow, this past Saturday, my two sons and I hunkered down for a marathon session of watching the entirety of "24"s initial season. none of us had ever seen it before, and I recently picked up the boxed set of DVDs. We made sure were properly armed with pizza, Mt. Dew, beef jerky (seems like a Jack Link's, of course), etc.

It was a fascinating time comparing what we saw to what we'd seen in the later seasons. The pacing seemed very well-constructed. The premise itself just plain felt new, again even though I'd already seen seasons 2 - 7. It was easy to see why the show had become a success.

A few thoughts:

- I had forgotten what a manipulative witch Lady McPalmer was!

- the overall plot and its elements didn't seem as over-the-top as they do later in the series.

- Jack's physical appearance was considerably less "weathered", hence the comment in the thread subject. After 6+ seasons of stopped heats, heroin usage, Chinese torture, being Kim's dad... it'd take a toll on Dorian Gray

- Kim seemed less "stupid" and more just an average teenager who got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

- For all that Jack had to go through... I felt sorrier for Teri than anybody. She was so innocent in all of it.

- There were several moments of REAL emotion in that season. I haven't quite felt that same level in seasons since.

- Sen Palmer seemed noble yet very naive.

- Funny how I had an instant revulsion to Andre Drazen, seeing as I'd already seen the actor in less-than-flattering light in "House" and "Heroes"

- We actually see Jack close his eyes, get something to eat AND complain about his lack of sleep!

- Never saw him go to the bathroom though.

- Favorite line that I can think of right now: "I have killed two people since midnight. I haven't slept in over 24 hours. Maybe you should be a little more scared of me than you are right now."

There is little question in my mind that this was my favorite of all the seasons of "24".

This was the best season because the stakes were personal and not over the top, and this was also when the surprises were genuine, like when "The Sentinel" turned out not to be who he said he was. Mole #1 was a surprise (though Mole #2 was a sign of things to come).

Funny how I had an instant revulsion to Andre Drazen, seeing as I'd already seen the actor in less-than-flattering light in "House" and "Heroes"

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I've seen him as a good guy in Black Hawk Down. Can't think of any other good guy roles for him though. Whenever he guest stars on TV he's either a bad guy or a slimy guy in a suit.

This was the best season because the stakes were personal and not over the top,

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I think this sums it up best for me, because it really was VERY personal. At the same time Jack is trying to work out the plot mystery, he's trying to protect his wife and daughter. The two plot threads are nicely intertwined to where you can't consider one without the other.

and this was also when the surprises were genuine, like when "The Sentinel" turned out not to be who he said he was.

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There was something suspicious about him to us from early on. He seemed almost ... too calm if you know what I mean. Here's his daughter, brutally injured and supposedly how knows not why. He seemed too interested in Teri and not as much in his own daughter. That's what made it horrifying when he killed the girl as she lay in her hospital bed.

While the Jack/Palmer story was great I couldn't stand the Terri/Kim story, which means 50% of the screen time was crap. I can't remember who I am! Hey I'm gonna go hook up with the stranger who just kidnapped me! So it's a flawed masterpiece. I thought the way they laid out the main storyline bit by bit was particularly excellent, with the underground prison revelation being a really cool twist.

Season 1 really was a great season, it's a close tie with 2 for the best season. But there's something with the way the forumla, premise and characters click in the first season. Even the "style" and look of the show and music really works well in S1.

And I'd argue Kim had the essence of "stupid" in her in the first season, Sneaking out on a school night for startes, latching on to Rick like a lost puppy for seconds.

While the Jack/Palmer story was great I couldn't stand the Terri/Kim story, which means 50% of the screen time was crap. I can't remember who I am! Hey I'm gonna go hook up with the stranger who just kidnapped me! So it's a flawed masterpiece. I thought the way they laid out the main storyline bit by bit was particularly excellent, with the underground prison revelation being a really cool twist.

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See... the portion that dealt with Jack's own family was a very significant part for me. But that's largely because I have my own family.

I don't like it quite as much as the second season--I thought that season took the forumla and really made it into an effective thriller--but it's still pretty good, and as close to realism as the series ever got.

Season 1 was one of the examples where the show had a set idea of what to do at first, but then they lose their way afterward (season two wasn't the same after the nuke went off, season 4 wasn't the same after Heller was rescued, etc.). Although in season one's case, they didn't know if they'd last a full 24 episodes so they had that 13-episode arc with the Bauer family being rescued at the end.

Which reminds me, the whole run where Jack is forced to follow the orders of Gaines was really intense and well done, particularly when they were going to make him assassinate Palmer. And remember how long it took before we finally found out WHY Jack and Palmer were the targets? I liked that. 24 had a tendency to shoot its load too early now. This year,

Tony was the villain for only 2-4 episodes, and Juma was gotten rid of only halfway in the season (normally that would be the 2/3 point).

Which reminds me, the whole run where Jack is forced to follow the orders of Gaines was really intense and well done, particularly when they were going to make him assassinate Palmer. And remember how long it took before we finally found out WHY Jack and Palmer were the targets? I liked that. 24 had a tendency to shoot its load too early now. This year,

Tony was the villain for only 2-4 episodes, and Juma was gotten rid of only halfway in the season (normally that would be the 2/3 point).

But Kim seemed "stupid" in the rebellious teenager sort of way, more "forgivable" if you will. Later on, it was less excusable, because she was no longer that teenager.

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Agreed.

She was still stupid, though. Chiefly in latching on to her fucking kidnapper like a puppy.

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It's natural to latch onto one's kidnappers like a puppy. Capture bonding is the technical term for the psychological mechanism, it's commonly known as Stockholm Syndrome.

It's a survival mechanism. Connecting emotionally with your captors makes it more difficult for them to kill you. And it was fairly useful in the days when the only way to avoid incest was to kidnap spouses from a rival tribe, or get kidnapped.

I think the story got more personal again. I always felt like '24' was best when it was rooted in the characters and not trying to outdo itself with big crises. It’s like the bombs were getting bigger and bigger and the crises were getting bigger. I think it’s better when it’s told on a smaller scale. The first season was like that and this season reminded me of that first season in the way it plays out.